The Beckett School at Laurier offers the oldest (est. 1980) and largest early childhood music (ECM) program in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region.

Children are grouped in classes according to age and follow a custom curriculum that produces the natural starting point for a lifetime of musical accomplishment and enjoyment. Our ECM teacher Jennifer Stacey works to ensure your child will develop a love and understanding of music through immersion in singing, playing, listening and movement activities.

Jump to:

• Steps To Music Through Movement (3-4 Years)
• Little Performer Ensemble (Mandarin) (5-7 Years)
• Music with Your Child (3–7 Years)
• Music with Your Baby or Toddler (0–36 Months)

Steps To Music Through Movement

These classes are based on Dalcroze inspired games and exercises that engage students’ ears, eyes, and bodies. The students will listen, move, and respond to music while developing a musical instinct that helps them to sense, feel, react, and create with their musical body. This wholistic approach to learning music is beneficial for their physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development.

Listening games, songs, and movement exercises allow children to experiment and discover tempo and beat, pitch and melody, dynamics and nuance. The teacher uses improvised piano music and a watchful eye and ear for any necessary adaptations or flexibility. This allows for a wide variety of responses from the children and continued alertness. Children slowly develop relationships between space, time, and energy in this rhythmic and musical environment.

My goal is to create an atmosphere of joy and discovery as the children move through these classes.

Note: Children should wear comfortable clothes and will be asked to be in bare feet.

• Instructor: Carol Bauman
• Ages: 3-4 years
• Start date: Jan. 30, 2023 (11-week session)
• Day and time: Mondays, 4:30 – 5 p.m. or 5:15 - 5:45 p.m.
• Cost: $150

Email beckettschool@wlu.ca to register.

Little Performer Ensemble (Mandarin)

This program is a set of music group courses that help your child (aged 5-7) develop their essential musical competence ability, such as keeping steady beats and participating with confidence and pleasure in the music, including instrumental study. The program will use a variety of enjoyable music theory lessons and games to introduce concepts such as music notes, values, time signatures, etc. It's a perfect way for beginners to learn music.

Through music stories, rhythm/tonal pattern play, instruments/props play, and ostinato, your child will learn rhythm, melody and harmony in fun ways and have a first idea about an ensemble. It will help them listen, share, cooperate, teamwork, and build self-confidence through music.

A sequentially organized class structure encourages children to develop performance and literacy skills that lay the foundation for future individual lessons. Our structure allows them to progress at a quicker pace and with greater confidence. Grown-ups are asked to join the class to help facilitate music activities.

• Instructor: Li Zhang
• Ages: 5-7 years
• Start date: Feb. 19, 2023 (10-week session)
• Day and time: Sundays; 11 a.m. or 4 p.m. (45-minutes)
• Cost: $200

Email beckettschool@wlu.ca to register.

Music with Your Child

Through traditional chants, folk songs and singing games, your child (3–7 years) will use their own voice as their first instrument, as well as rhythmic and melodic instruments, to actively discover musical concepts such as beat, rhythm, melody and form.

A sequentially organized class structure encourages children to develop performance and literacy skills that lay the foundation for future individual lessons. Our structure allows them to progress at a quicker pace and with greater confidence.

Family participation is a vital component of this program. Grown-ups and/or siblings are asked to join the class to help facilitate music activities (e.g. clapping games).

Email beckettschool@wlu.ca to register for any of the classes below. 

Note: This year the classes will be offered in-person at a reduced capacity and with increased safety/cleaning protocols. This is subject to change at any time. All children will receive a music kit (scarf, rhythm sticks, egg shaker, etc.) to use at home. Six- and seven-year-olds will need a ukulele tuner. 

Three-Year-Olds

• Format: 30-minute classes for 12 weeks
• Cost: $175 
  • Siblings: $150

Session One

• Start date: Sept. 13, 2022
• Day and time: Tuesdays, 5:15 – 5:45 p.m.
• Class limit: Six students

Session Two

• Start date: Jan. 10, 2023
• Day and time: Tuesdays, 5:15 – 5:45 p.m.
• Class limit: Six students

Four-Year-Olds

• Format: 30-minute classes for 12 weeks
• Cost: $175 
  • Siblings: $150

Session One

• Start date: Sept. 15, 2022
• Day and time: Thursdays, 5:15 – 5:45 p.m. or Tuesdays 6 - 6:30 p.m.
• Class limit: Six students

Session Two

• Start date: Jan. 12, 2023
• Day and time: Thursdays, 5:15 – 5:45 p.m.
• Class limit: Six students

Five-Year-Olds

• Format: 45-minute classes for 12 weeks
• Cost: $240
  • Siblings: $200

Session One

• Start date: Sept. 15, 2022
• Day and time: Thursdays, 4:15 – 5 p.m.
• Class limit: Six students

Session Two

• Start date: Jan. 12, 2023
• Day and time: Thursdays, 4:15 – 5 p.m.
• Class limit: Six students

Six- and Seven-Year-Olds

Ukulele and Orff Classes: Children will need a ukulele and tuner.

• Format: 45-minute classes for 12 weeks
• Cost: $240
  • Siblings: $200

Session One

• Start date: Sept. 13 or 15, 2022
• Day and time: Tuesdays, 4:15 – 5 p.m. or Thursdays, 6 – 6:45 p.m.
• Class limit: Six students

Session Two

• Start date: Jan. 10 or Jan. 12, 2023
• Day and time: Tuesdays, 4:15 – 5 p.m. or Thursdays, 6 – 6:45 p.m.
• Class limit: Six students

Music with Your Baby or Toddler

Introduce your baby (0–18 months) or toddler (18–36 months) to music and movement in this fun, interactive parented class. Dress comfortably as you will be partners with your child as we sing, play and move to traditional folk music, nursery songs, singing games, lullabies and instrumental music.

Instruments and equipment including xylophones, drums, bells, balls, hoops and scarves are used extensively and are an invaluable part of the class. Help your child foster a musical understanding, learn to respond to music and further develop their language, social, emotional and physical skills.

Note: This year the classes will be offered in-person at a reduced capacity and with increased safety/cleaning protocols. This is subject to change at any time. All children will receive a music kit (scarf, rhythm sticks, egg shaker, etc.) to use at home.

• Format: 30-minute classes for 12 weeks
• Cost: $175 per session 

Session One

• Start date: Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022
• Day and time: Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Class limit: Six students

Session Two

• Start date: Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023
• Day and time: Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Class limit: Six students